Report: Kibbutzniks Threaten to Bolt Labor

The kibbutz bloc is threatening to leave the Labor party for the Meretz party is Labor leader Shelly Yechimovich follows through on a realignment plan that would give the kibbutz bloc and the moshav bloc one realistic spot on the ballot for the January Knesset elections, according to a Monday report by Ma'ariv.

Kibbutz-sector attorney Shimi Baron told Ma'ariv, "Merging the sectors hurts Labor. The party needs to look not only at the cities, but also at the periphery. The kibbutzim were [here] before Shelly and will be [here] after her but, in the end, the party cannot afford to merge the sectors. It's a move we won't agree to.